God’s New Covenant - Part 8

 

Part 8 - God’s New Covenant

The rest of Ephesians 5:22-33 continues to give us insight on our New Testament Marriage covenant relationship with God.

“So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 

“For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

(The church is the body of Christ. We are called by His name. When we are baptized in the name of Jesus the name of Jesus is called upon us. We are filled with His Spirit when we receive the gift of His Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, James 2:7)). 

(“Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood," - Revelation 1:5 (Matthew 26:28)).

“For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 

("So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another." - Romans 12:5 (Also: 1Corinthians 12:12-13, 27)).

“For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 

“This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

(The Bible speaks of Adam and Eve being one flesh. (Genesis 2:23).  When God made Eve, a great sleep came upon Adam. Eve was taken out of Adam’s side. Jesus is referred to as “last Adam.” God’s wife, the church, symbolically came out of Christ’s side. She came out of His side when Christ was in a “deep sleep” (temporarily dead). "But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water." - John 19:34).

(The Bible says, when we are filled with God’s Spirit, we become one with Him. (John 14:16-26, John 17:11, 21-23, Acts 2:38-39)).

("And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." - John 17:22-23). 

“Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband." - Ephesians 5:22-33

Part 7 - God's New Covenant

 

Part 7 - God’s New Covenant

In Ephesians 5:22-33 God, through writer Apostle Paul, gives us insight on our New Testament Marriage covenant relationship with Him.

"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 

God is our husband. We are the church, His wife. He is head of the church and our saviour. We are subject unto Him.

“Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

It was necessary for Christ to die for His wife so that she could be sanctified and cleansed by the gospel.

“That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

Notice here that He says that He sanctifies and cleanses the church with the “washing of water by the word.”

According to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, “word” (rhema) in this verse means “the gospel.” [“Ephesians 5:26 (others take ῤήματι here as equivalent to 'the gospel,' cf. Ephesians 6:17, Romans 10:8; (see Meyer at the passage));” – Thayer’s]

The Gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. (1Corinthians 15:1-4). We obey the gospel by repentance, water baptism in the name of Jesus FOR the remission of sins, and being filled with His Spirit, speaking in other tongues as His Spirit gives the utterance. (Acts 2:38, Acts 2:4).

With “word” meaning “gospel” we can understand how the “washing of water by the word” can cleanse a soul of every spot and wrinkle, and make us holy and without blemish. 

“That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 

To be continued…

Part 6 - God’s New Covenant

Part 6 - God’s New Covenant

God’s New Covenant marriage was such a priority, that His first miracle in the book of John was at a marriage.

At this miracle God revealed His ultimate mission – His death on the cross. 

"And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:" - John 2:1 KJV

Throughout the New Testament, the “third day” refers to the resurrection of Jesus after His death and burial. (Matthew 16:21, 17:23, 20:19, 27:64, Mark 9:31, 10:34, Luke 9:22,18:33, 24:7, 21, 46, Acts 10:40, 1Co 15:4). This first verse immediately connects the marriage at Cana with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. 

"And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage." - John 2:2 KJV

The New Covenant marriage is between Jesus and the church (His disciples, including His mother). 

"And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come." - John 2:3-4 KJV

Wine (or fruit of the vine) and water can represent both the blood of Jesus and the Holy Ghost. (Matthew 26:27-28, John 19:34, 1John 5:6,8, John 4:10-14, John 7:37-39). It wasn’t yet time.

Only one other time in the Bible did Jesus speak to His mother calling her “woman.” This other time was at the cross. (John 19:25-27).

Jesus used the word His “hour" many times, referring to His suffering and death on the cross. (Matthew 26:45, Mark 14:35, 41, John 7:30, 8:20, 12:23, 27, 12:23, 27, 13:1, 17:1).

"His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it." - John 2:5 KJV

Just do it.

"And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. 

“Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 

“And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it." - John 2:6-8 KJV 

(#6=man; Filled with the Spirit: Acts 2:4, Acts 4:8, 31, 9:17, 13:9, 52, Ephesians 5:18; Isaiah 12:3).

At the conclusion of the miracle, the final statement is, “Thou hast kept the good wine until now.” The New Covenant truly is the good covenant. (Hebrews 8:6-13).

To be continued…

God's New Covenant Part 5

 

God’s New Covenant - Part 5

The prophet Jeremiah prophesied of the New Covenant God would bring to His people. 

"Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 

“Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: 

The Old Covenant was the covenant of the Law, given through Moses at Mount Sinai after God brought Israel out of Egypt. At Mount Sinai, God became a husband to the Jewish people when they covenanted to keep all the Laws God gave to them. There were 613 commandments, summarized by the 10 commandments. 

"And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD." - Exodus 19:8 KJV Shortly thereafter, they broke their covenant when Moses delayed returning from the Mount and Aaron made a golden calf for the people to worship.

Jeremiah prophesied:

“But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 

“And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." - Jeremiah 31:31-34 KJV

We find that the New Covenant is the gospel. By the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, the price was paid for our sin and iniquity. "For this is my blood of the new testament [new covenant], which is shed for many for the remission of sins." - Matthew 26:28 KJV 

We obey the gospel by repentance, baptism in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. With the gift of the Holy Ghost, we know Him.

To be continued...

Church!

 Church!

God's New Covenant - Part Three

 

 

Part 3 God’s New Covenant

While Christians look at the first Pentecost as being described in Acts chapter 2, the holy day actually began at Mount Sinai when God gave His Law through Moses to Israel. The Jews call Pentecost “Shavuot.”

The Jews look at this holy day as the day God became their husband. When Moses presented God’s Law to the people, just as in a marriage between man and woman, the people said, “We will do.” (Exodus 19:8). From that point on, God considered Himself as Israel’s Husband. (Ezekiel 16:8, Jeremiah 3:20, Ezekiel 16:31-32, 36).

"For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called." - Isaiah 54:5 KJV

"Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:" - Jeremiah 3:14 KJV

The marriage covenant at Mount Sinai was a binding blood covenant to last as long as the parties lived.

"And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words." - Exodus 24:8 KJV

Jeremiah prophesied, "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah…”

How could Israel be released from their blood covenant of marriage to God and their covenant to keep the Law (613 commandments) received at Mount Sinai? 

Apostle Paul explains.

"Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? 

“For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. 

“So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man." - Romans 7:1-3 KJV

To be continued…

God’s New Covenant - Part Two

 

God’s New Covenant - Part Two

The New Covenant began with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Father manifest in flesh. [manifest: “made visible on earth as a man among men” - Thayer’s]

"For this is my blood of the new testament [new covenant], which is shed for many for the remission of sins." - Matthew 26:28 

While we see Jesus preaching the kingdom of God and baptizing, we see the fulfillment of the gospel on the Day of Pentecost when Jesus poured out His Spirit on all His disciples for the very first time. (John 3:5, 22, 26, 30, 4:1-2).

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ... And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." - Acts 2:1, 4 

With the outpouring of God’s Spirit, we see fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy.

"But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people." - Jeremiah 31:33 

Peter preached the gospel to the Jews that were confounded: For they heard the believers speaking in their own languages. (Acts 2:6).

Upon hearing they had crucified their Messiah, they were cut to their heart and asked, “What shall we do?”

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." - Acts 2:38 

With water baptism in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins along with Holy Ghost baptism, we have the second fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy:

“And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." - Jeremiah 31:34 

We “know the Lord” when He fills us with His Spirit. He forgives our iniquity and remembers our sin no more when we are baptized in the name of Jesus. (Acts 2:38).

To be continued…